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MEMORANDUS'FOR:
Files FROM:
J. M. Brown, Jr., Material Licensing Branch
SUBJECT:
INFORMAL MEETING ON THE PROPOSED DENIAL OF THE REQUEST TO REINSTATE THE TEST PROGRAM FOR PURE PLUT0NIUM 0XIDE HEAT SOURCES IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN (LETTER DATED OCTOBER 6, 1980)
This informal meeting on the above proposed denial was held at the request of DOE and the Navy to discuss the previously submitted renewal application for the renewal of Special Nuclear Material License SNM-ll54, Docket 070-01216.
See Attachment No.1 for list of meeting attendees.
By letter on October 6, 1980, the NRC had informed the Navy Ocean System Center of the proposed denial of the Navy's request for the reinstatement of their test program for pure plutonium oxide heat sources in the ocean environment offshore at San Clemente Island, California.
Following receipt of the proposed denial, the Navy sent a telegram to the NRC requesting a hearing with respect to the denial.
This telegram was never received by the NRC.
A second telegram was submitted.
See Attachment No. 2.
At this meeting, Dr. Gary Bennett' of DOE explained the role of the Navy testing program as it relates to obtaining information on the possible environmental aspects of the loss of plutonium power sources.
These types of sources are used by the military, NASA, and the civilian space programs.
The purpose of these tests is the continuation of previous tests to determine environmental effects in the event of an aborted launch, or other accidents which would result in the release of plutonium power sources to the ocean.
It was emphasized that this ocean testing is only a small part of the overall test program conducted by DOE and is needed to verify, by actual environmental testing, the data previously generated in laboratories, such as the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory.
Mr. Stephen Katz, Naval Ocean Systems Center (N0SC), attorney, described the Navy's program to date on previously performed tests and revealed to the NRC that the proposed cutinued tests did not involve the use of plutonium capsules that are vented down to the bare plutonium oxide.
This was not clearly spelled out in the renewal application.
Drs. George Matlack (LASL), and Herbert Weiss (NOSC) explained the following:
1.
The proposed tests of " vented" capsules including venting down to the iridium plated plutonium oxide only and not to bare plutonium oxide as kg[,hDCUb b
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was interpreted from the application.
Los Alamos National Laboratory tests previously performed on the plated pellets indicated a time period i n excess of 1 year is necessary for the iridium cladding cov.ering the plutonium oxide to fail, thereby permitting the release of the plutonium oxide to the marine environment.
They explained that no release of plutonium oxide to the marine environment is expected during the estimated 1 year testing of the capsules in the actual Pacific marine environment.
They further explained that the requested ocean testing was necessary in order to verify the extensive LASL tests, particularly since the marine environment cannot be completely duplicated in the laboratory.
2.
The cage-like containment of the capsules during testing in the ocean assures complete recovery of the capsules from the 50-foot depth of the proposed test site.
3.
The Navy would pull the test samples from the ocean at frequent intervals to assure that the actual marine environment did not cause any premature release of plutonium oxide.
4.
They wanted to maintain the size of the capsules at 153 grams versus the previously used 88 gram size since this quantity duplicates the size of the capsules customarily used in space applications.
As a result of the meeting, it was decided that the previously submitted renewal application did not adequately address the proposed ocean test program.
Therefore, the Navy Ocean Systems Center requested that they be allowed to resubmit the request informally through DOE to the NRC.
This was agreed upon and it was explained that the formal hearing on the proposed denial would be on a " hold" status pending the review of the newly submitted informal application.
Mr. Nussbaumer requested that the Navy also provide the additional information requested in NRC's December 2, 1980 letter, along with the resubmitted materials on the marine environmental tests.
J. M. Brown, Jr.
Material Licensing Branch l
Division of Fuel Cycle and Material Safety
Enclosures:
1.
Attendee List 2.
Telegram Received l
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Meeting:
Naval Ocean Systems Center' 3 ate:
December 11, 1980.
Attendees:
George Matlack Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory Herbert V. Ueiss Naval Ocean Systems Center Stephen Katz Naval Ocean Systems Center Victor E. Noshkin Laurence Livermore National Laboratory George H. Ogburn, Jr.
Department of Energy, Space and Terr. Systems Division Gery L. Bennett Depart' ment of Energy, STS Vandy L. Miller I;'uclear Regulatory' Commission, NMSS Donald A. Nussbaumer Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NMSS Thomas F. Dorian Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ELD Joseph M. Brown, Jr.
Iluclear Regulatory Commission, NMSS O
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